Fence-post.



H- H. GERKEN.

FENCE Pos1.

N FIL Patented Nov. 16, 1915.

l! Ik r III l l uw ricorrere.

nro.

HENRY IL GERKEN, or Nasrrua, Iowa.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of ietters Patent.

Patented Nov.. i6, i915..

Application tiled, 'March 10, 1915. Serial No. 18,405.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY H. GERKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashua, in the county of Chickasaw and State of iowa, have invented a new useful FencePost, of which the following 1s a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in fence posts, and more ,particularly to that class of posts to which may be readily at tached theordinary poultry orv other wire fabric fencing without the necessity of using any nails, staples or similar fastening devices and without requiring special tools therefor and with the same ease and readiness the fence may be detached from the post leaving the wire fabric in an unimpaired condition.

A further object is to provide a post, of simple structure, which will securely hold the fence in a taut condition above the ground at a predetermined elevation, and to eii'ectually prevent any sagging or lengthwise creeping or moving of the same.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a care ful consideration of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part of this speciiication; it being understood that while the drawing shows a practical form of he invention, the latter is not confined to strict conformity therewith, but may be changed or modified, so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as specifically pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters designate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 illustrates, in perspective, the fence post supporting a woven wire fence. Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The fence post of the present invention consists of the section 1 of ordinary angle or l shaped iron such as is in common use, and cut of any length desired to suit the varying widths of poultry wire or other woven wire fabric as indicated by the reference numeral 2 in the drawing. While the drawing illustrates the invention supporting a fence of the mesh type, it is to be understood that the invention is equally well adapted to support wire fences of any style, as for instance those having a series of line `or strand a plurality of outstanding hooks l formed by punching or severing the top, Vbottom and one side of a rectangular opening in alten nate arrangement, 1n order to permit of the tongues thus formed being bent outwardly at an acute angle to the adjacent face 3 to form right Vand left hand l1ooks,lthe iends of ,the tongues being partially returned toward the face 3, as shown at 6, in such manner aS to receive a vertically disposed tie rod 7 and support the same in spaced relation to the face 3 of the fence post l. This space, as indicated more clearly at 8 in Fig. 3 of the drawing, is necessary in order to accommodate the several strands or line wires of the fence to be supported on the post.

The tie rod 7, which is formed of ordinary commercial wire ofl relatively heavy gage, is cut at a suitable length to extend from approximately the ground line, to the top of the post, and is there provided with a return portion 9 to form a hook of sufficient length to engage the top edge of the face 3 and to prevent the rod 7 from slipping downwardly, while the hooks 4 act to pre vent the said rod 7 from moving to the right or the left, thus holding the tie rod rigidly against one face of the wire fence 2 and securely binding the same to the adjacent face of the fence post.

.lin the attachment of the particular fence shown in the drawing, to the device of the present invention, it will be seen that the uppermost hook l projects immediately beneath the upper selvage wire l2 of the fence' 2 and thus acts as a support to prevent any downward movement thereof, while the lowermost hook 4 projects immediately above the lower selvage wire 13 of the fence 2 and, in the same manner, acts to prevent any upward movement of the fence.`

With the plurality of outwardly extending hooks 4l, as provided on the post l, there will always be a number of said hooks to engage directly under some of the line wires of the fence, no matter what style the latter may be, and act as a support for the same.

In applying a fence to the post of the present invention, it is only necessary to run the former, in a taut condition, along the face of the angle iron post provided with the hooks, and then slide the tie rod through the said hooks', VfromV top to bottom and onr the oppositeside of the Wire fence to the post, until the hooked endof the tie rodengagesy the upper edge of the adjacent face of the post.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple, easily manufactured and"inexpe`n sive fence post hasgbeen devised, that is adapted to have a Wire fence easily and 'quickly appliedtheretofor removed tlie'refrom. Y

outwardly, and partially returning the end of the tongue toward the adjacent face of the post,and atie rod adapted to be passed downwardly through the said hooksand 'heldin spaced relation to the said face and having its upper end provided with means for engaging with the post to prevent the tie rod from dropping downwardly, the spacing of the rod from the face of the post permitting a wire fence being retained by Y the rod against the post.

In testimony, that claimtheforegoing as my own, l have heretoaiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. GERKEN. lVitnesses FRANK-J. GERKEN,

A. `L. KoR'rH.

AfCopeseof' this-patetfmay befdbtainedfor lfve'vcents yeach, by addressing 'che Commissioner of Patents, Washingtom D. C. 

